We’ve all come to normalize pain in our lives in some sense. At some point, you may have sought out therapy for the various aches and pains you’ve experienced, but did you know that pelvic health physical therapy was an option for painful sexual intercourse or dyspareunia? In fact, I can’t keep track of the amount of times I have heard from a patient or a friend who thought it was normal to have pain with sexual intercourse. Statistics show [...]
Pudendal Neuralgia is a painful condition caused by irritation of the pudendal nerve, usually via compression by muscles or ligaments along its pathway in the pelvis. This irritation causes pain and dysfunction (urinary/bowel and sexual) in both males and females. It is well established that most men wait years before seeking help with pelvic floor issues therefore, this blog will focus on men. The diagnosis of Pudendal Neuralgia is primarily based on signs and symptoms. Diagnostic tests alone are not [...]
Whether it’s pelvic pain, discomfort with sex, incontinence, difficulty having a bowel movement, or feelings of fullness or heaviness in your lower abdomen or pelvic region. The signs and symptoms of an pelvic organ prolapse can be extremely overwhelming. Let’s start with the most important question…what exactly is a prolapse? A pelvic organ prolapse (POP) occurs when your pelvic organs move from their original position. It can be due to a multitude of factors including but not limited to: Weakness [...]
Happy Bladder Health Month! No, November is not only about cooking turkey and putting on a football game, it’s also the month we try to spread more awareness about Bladder Health and Urinary dysfunction. Do you struggle with urinating? Do you find yourself sitting on the toilet and starting and stopping in the middle of a stream? Do you find yourself on the other end of the spectrum and you find yourself running to the bathroom every 30 minutes? If [...]
There are misconceptions when it comes to issues such as pelvic pain. The medical community often considered this a female problem related to pregnancy, postpartum, menstrual cycle, or female reproductive organs…but as you may guess, anyone with a pelvis can have pain and that includes males. Guys haven’t had it so good with it comes to dealing with male pelvic health issues and the intervention provided by the medical community. Too often (and still so today), male pelvic pain was [...]
Body Myths: The Pelvic Floor Edition We get a lot of information about our bodies from all sorts of sources today (your Instagram feed, the news, and even your friendly neighbor who’s been on “WebMD” a few too many times…) So what is the truth and what is a myth? We will start with the “Pelvic Floor” which remains a mystery to MANY of us. So let's set the record straight: “Wetting yourself with every sneeze, cough, or belly laugh, that’s [...]
Everyone’s got one... a pelvic floor. What is the pelvic floor? The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and ligaments that sit inside the pelvis that we often forget to talk about. However, the pelvic floor is an integral part of our “anticipatory core.” The anticipatory core is made of the deep abdominals, deep muscles of the spine, and the pelvic floor. It allows our body to prepare for motion and creates stability within our trunk... Without these subconscious, [...]
...it’s more common than you think…and yes, it can be treated! With June being Men's Health Awareness Month, we wanted to bring awareness to a problem that is commonly misdiagnosed. Men with pelvic pain are almost always misdiagnosed as “prostatitis” and are prescribed rounds of antibiotics even though they do not have an infection. More commonly referred to as Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS) which can present as perineal (pelvic floor) and genital pain. The prevalence of CPPS in the [...]
Considerations After a C-Section & When to Get Help! The c-section scar is a specific type of scar that is very familiar to many American moms (statistically about 30%), yet it doesn’t get a lot of attention. Our c-section scars will continue to tighten and change over time, regardless of how old they are, and tight scars can create a whole host of problems. Some women with c-section scars can go for years without having any problems but will notice [...]
We all know of people in our lives who are “double jointed”. It’s a fun party trick for school aged kids, being able to bend arms and fingers in an unnatural way. But as we age, hypermobility, which is excessive movement in the joints, isn't so fun and can cause pain and dysfunction especially in the spine, hips, and pelvic floor. Hypermobility Hypermobility is often a genetic issue within the collagen of the connective tissue, otherwise known as fascia. The [...]
